Hair Wreaths & Mourning Items

Location:

Event Venue:

1011 E. Ash St., Springfield, IL

Event Audience:

Adult

Teen

Fee:

Free and open to the public

Tales from the Vault presented by Erika Holst, Curator of Decorative Arts and History.

In the 19th century, death was a part of life. People died from disease, lack of medical care, inadequate food supplies, poor sanitary conditions, farm accidents, fire, and war. To cope with this intimate experience with death, a variety of mourning practices and artifacts emerged that allowed people to both express their grief and to memorialize their loved ones. This presentation will explore mourning artifacts from the ISM's collection along with the etiquette behind them.

"Tales from the Vault" is a collaborative program hosted by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois State Museum which allows the public to discover some of the treasures from these institutions' collections. Each program will include the chance to view an artifact or document not normally on display, commentary by a staff member or local scholar, and a chance for group discussion. All programs are free and open to the public.

The Research & Collections Center is located at 1011 E. Ash St. in Springfield. The Collections Center’s new entrance gate is on Ash Street. The Ash Street entrance must be approached from 11th Street or further east due to the rail closure at Ash and 10 ½ Streets.